Gina Carano immediately suspended from MMA after losing to Ronda Rousey within 15 seconds

MMA fighter Gina Carano has been suspended from competing in the sport following her loss to Ronda Rousey.

The mixed martial arts event was the first to be promoted by Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions brand and was held at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Saturday (May 16).

Carano, 44, and Rousey, 39, are legends of the sport in their own right, though it would be the latter who would emerge victorious after almost no time at all.

It took Rousey just 15 seconds to submit Carano with an armbar in their comeback fight, after she said she'd wanted to 'rewrite her ending in the sport', and called Carano her 'hero'.

Carano, who hadn't fought since 2009, was stopped by Rousey's signature move in the fighter's first match-up in 10 years.

While many may want to see the legends competing again soon, it is highly unlikely, with the 39-year-old looking forward to her return to retirement.

Why has Gina Carano been banned from MMA?

Carano has been suspended from fighting after the loss, though this is actually standard practice.

It should come as no surprise that combat sports can have a massive effect on an athlete's body, with it taking several blows in both training and competing.

This can result in severe injuries, which include broken ribs, eye injuries, and trauma to the head - so it's protocol for athletes to be barred from fighting following a bout.

It allows for proper recovery, and it's why Rousey is also banned.

This mandatory rest period means that you can spend a sufficient amount of time recovering before competing again, despite what the athlete may feel like they're ready for.

As for the length at which someone is suspended, there are numerous different factors, with the opinion of an on-site physician paramount to the decision.

Some fighters may only be suspended for a week, while others may need to check some boxes to be cleared as fit enough to compete.

Levels of suspension

There are different levels of suspension, which depend on the physical condition of an athlete after they compete.

The first level, the lower, is known as a no-competition suspension, which is where the athlete cannot compete in any fights over this period, though sparring with contact in training is allowed.

At the second higher level is what's known as a 'no contact' or 'no sparring' suspension, with a fighter's injuries thought to be severe enough that they must undergo a period of no-contact sport to recover.

This may require medical clearance, such as positive scans or a doctor's signature.

MMA differs to bocing though, and durations of suspensions can range anywhere from a few days to 180 days (six months), though this is often “pending imaging/doctor’s clearance,” according to MMA AILM.

What did Rousey and Carano say about each other?

The double comeback fight was a sight to behold for MMA fans who were following the sport in the 2000s and 2010s, with the fighters not shy of showing admiration for one another.

Rousey had become one of the world's most well-known athletes after winning the first women's title in the UFC, but admitted she looked up to Carano, saying: "Gina is a person who brought me into MMA, she is the only person who could bring me back into MMA. She's my hero."

Speaking about the fight, she added: “I was hoping to come out as unscathed as possible,

“I didn’t really want to hurt her. Luckily it was beautiful martial arts, that’s what I think that was. It was art.”

After wrenching Carano's arm in the opening seconds, the fight was stopped, and while fans thought it could mark a proper return, her response to being asked if she wanted the fight to last longer shut that all down.

“Hell no,” she said. “My husband and my kids are watching me. I don’t want to put them through anything more than I have to.”

Rousey emerged victorious in less than a minute across eight fights during her MMA career.

Carano was all smiles despite the loss, explaining: “I wanted that to last longer,

“I felt so ready. I’ve never felt that good. But I haven’t been here for 17 years … and I wanted to hit her.”

Featured image credit: Christian Petersen/Getty